Old World swallowtail
Elegant and colorful butterfly
The Old World swallowtail (Papilio machaon) belongs to the Papilionidae family, which includes numerous splendid tropical butterflies. In fact, this beautiful butterfly stands out for its large size (with a wingspan ranging from 7 to 9 cm), vibrant colors, and graceful shapes.
Its wings are yellow with black outlines and patterns, adorned with a shimmering blue band that contains a red “eye” and end with two long “tails.”
The swallowtail frequents meadows and open, sunny environments, including city parks.
The caterpillar of the swallowtail is light green with black and orange spots, and it feeds on wild carrots and other umbelliferous plants. The adult butterfly feeds on flower nectar and plays an important role in pollination.
Did you know?
When disturbed, the caterpillars release from behind their heads a type of pungent-smelling orange horns to scare off potential predators.